'Lectric Wood

Time Of The Season

Atlantis

'Lectric Woods
Sound and Production by: Don Gallese and Don McGinnis
Arranged by Don McGinnis/ Ray Pohlman*
APT ABC Records 2601

This set features a number of quirky arrangements that attempt to blend some degree of 60s light groove pop, pop marimba brass and psych.

I can't decide whether the tunes are complete disasters or conceptual masterpieces!

Aquarius
The Dippers*
The Boxer
Time Of The Season
Bruce Bond
You've Made Me So Very Happy*
Spinning Wheel
Proud Mary
A.L.L.
I Wanne Be Free
Soul Satalite*
Atlantis

Fantasy Of Japan - Ricardo Santos

Musume Dojoji

Fantasy Of Japan
Ricardo Santos and his Orchestra
Polydor LPPM-100
1964

An article published in Billboard - February 25, 1964 suggests that Santo visited Japan five years before he "etched" this LP in Germany.

The album featured here includes an English language insert that features covers illustrations from the Santos "Holiday Series".

From the insert: This is the third of the collection of Japanese melodies arranged by Ricardo Santos, who formerly handled Japanese Folk songs and children's songs in Holiday in Japan and Holiday in Nippon. Here he takes up Japanese classic music and completes a series of his recordings of Japanese music.

Handling such difficult materials for a foreigner as purely Japanese music, Santos has done a very fine job even more than his previous arrangements of Japanese folksongs and children's songs.

In these arrangements of Japanese music, his idea is so original, fantastic and fresh that we can say he composed fantasies of Japanese classic music rather than he made arrangements for a modern orchestra.

Also found on the insert is a credit for Werner Muller. Muller's name is found in parentheses directly above Ricardo Santos and his Orchestra. When I googled Muller, I found and compared the image return of Muller to the man in the insert photograph. The man featured in the insert is Muller.

The package, including the cover art, seems dated for a mid-60s release. The set is uneven and features some very "conservative" sounding tracks that are barely "pop" as well as at least three great space age flavored tunes including the standout sample above.

Echigojishi
Shinnal-Nagashi
Genroku Hanamiodorl
Azuma Hakkel
Chidori No Kyoku
Rokudan
Sanjusangendo
Etenraku
Aki No Irokusa
Musume Dojoji
Kappore
Kanjincho

Chinary Ung & Conrad Cummings

Tall Wind (band 1)

Chinary Ung
Conrad Cummings
CRI SD 487
1983

Enjoy a sample from an obscure, but excellent contemporary set.

Beast Songs
Texts by Michael McClure
Susan Beiling, soprano; members of the Brooklyn Philharmonic (Paul Dunkel, flutist; John Moses, clarinetist; Kenneth Bowen, pianist; Robert Chausow, violinist; Jerry Grossman, cellist); Conrad Cummings, conductor

Tall Wind (Tall Wind, Sunset, Sonnet)
Poems by e. e. cummings
Joan Heller, soprano; Keith Underwood, flutist; Robert Atherholt, oboist; David Starobin, guitarist; Chris Finckel, cellist; Arthur Wiesberg, conductor

Khse Buon
Marc Johnson, cellist.

Summer Air
The New Music Cosort (Susan Deaver, flutist; Robert Atherholt, oboist; Virgil Blackwell, soprano saxophonist; Curtis Macomber, violinist; Louis Martin, violist; Clarie Heldrich and William A Trigg, percussionists; Barbara Allen, harpist); Conrad Cummings, conductor

Jean - Ray Conniff

Windmills Of Your Mind

Jean
Ray Conniff And Singers
Arranged and Conducted by Ray Conniff
Columbia CS 9920
1969

Love Me Tonight
A Time For Us
Love
The Windmills Of Your Mind
Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In
Jean
A Man Without Love
I'll Never Fall In Love Again
Spinning Wheel
The Power Of Love
Shadow Of The Night

Close To You - Tony Mottola

Jennifer Ann

Tony Mottola
Close To You
A Guitar For Lovers
Project 3 Total Sound
PR 5050SD
1970

From Billboard February 20, 1971: The subtile of this LP is music for lovers… and it's precisely that. Lush instrumentals range from Moon River and Autumn Leaves to We've Only Just Begun. Consider this another steady LP sales item in the Mottola fashion.

The jacket notes suggest that Mottola was also the arranger on this project.

Close To You
Always
Medley
What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?
Autumn Leaves
Here's That Rainy Day
A Time For Love
We've Only Just Begun
Yesterday When I Was Young
Wave
The Christmas Song
Didn't We
Jennifer Ann